RADICALCROSSSTITCH

Is that a bird? is that a shoe?

Note: pictures and language in this post would probably fall into the not safe for work category…

One of the great cultural institutions in our suburbs is the shoes thrown over the power lines. Normally the old flung shoe indicates your friendly neighbourhood ganja delaer. Although some of them have been swinging up there for so long now that I don’t know if it’s really too wise to go knocking on the door looking for your healthy dose of herb..

But the glory of swinging from a wire shouldn’t be exclusively reserved for shoes – even if they’ve recently gained a new cultural significance in the world..

One of my best friends had a rather significant life landmark swing by recently so to celebrate she decided to get some buddies together and have a craft off.

This was the result:

Friends

plus sustenance (thanks Casey’s mum!!)

plus craft supplies

equals cunty greatness! (that’s my one with the teeth)

Finally, add some power lines…

Beautiful!  I just wish there was one swinging outside my place!

Thanks lady for an ace fun time, bring on the dirty thirties!

Rebirth Tribute Craft

Mate, you should’ve seen my inbox this morning. It was an insane burst of creative inspiration. Quite phenomenal.

One of the emails was from George saying ‘woah check this out’

Believe it or not this is a bike taxi. It’s the creation of the super super genius goddess Mimosa Palen of Finland and it’s called the “Mobile Female Monument”.

I don’t think I have enough superlatives to describe how amazing I think this is!

It was created as a graphic demonstration against the phallocentricity of our world. And I think that riding it around an urban environment is a perfect way to demonstrate. I want one.

But this isn’t the only giant vulva art floating around the interwebby at the moment. The Ninja drew this one to my attention the other day.

It’s the genius work of the mum of craftster user cardigan. Her mum is an art student and made it for class. Sounds like everyone had an awesome time being ‘born’ into their class room!

I’ve always wanted to make something like this but I’ve never managed to have the skills or time. He he, now I don’t have to, I can just look at other peoples!

Lady Power!

Some of you may have missed the fact that there’s a Radical Cross Stitch Posse group on Facebook (join it!) and we’ve been seeing some pretty cool pictures on there recently. But this one just leapt out and went ‘how cool am I!!!!!!’ so I had to share it with you all.

I asked the lovely Miss Darvas for a backgrounder on it so here’s the story:

SO HAPPY TO FIND A RADICAL/ALTERNATIVE CROSS STITCH COMMUNITY!!! i’d almost given up on x stitch sites & magazines because i was sick of the flowery/sentimental verse/cottage type things. i know that kinda thing is popular with a lot of crafty people, but…yeah…not for me : /

anyhow, i typed OFFENSIVE CROSS STITCH in google. didn’t know what other term to use, but if i found ONE website or ONE picture of a x stitch with the word FUCK on it or something on a controversial/political theme then i’d feel less alone, haha!

yay, so google found me your site & the link to your FB group & i thought YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

i stitched LADY LOVE YOUR CUNT in support of the whole RECLAIMING CUNT issue – taking back the word “cunt” as a positive woman-friendly term to be used as another word for vagina (as was its origin), & not regarded as the most offensive word in the English language to describe something nasty & vile.

i stitched the slogan in pink & decorated the border with hearts & it looks pretty & inoffensive. my use of the word CUNT wasn’t intended to be shocking & if anyone sees the x stitch & asks wtf *that’s* all about, then it’s good to be able to explain the what “reclaiming cunt” *is* all about & then listening to their views on the subject. i hope that a cross stitch using LADY LOVE YOUR CUNT would be quite a conversation piece in a positive sense – exchanging thoughts & listening to other peoples opinions.

if i’d had more time, or if i decide to re-do that x stitch again, i’d like to include a lotus flower, or something like that representing a vagina.

Here’s to the day when we see adverts for menstrual cups that say LADY LOVE YOUR CUNT!!!

And of course here at Radical Cross Stitch we say ‘hear, hear!’ ‘Cause of course we do love the word cunt. It’s a delightful word and not in the least bit offensive. If you’re sitting at home going ‘huh?’ then read this book. And don’t be surprised if you start making xstitches like this too!

xox

Vagigi Stitch

I was chatting to a friend of mine the other day and somehow the topic of Oprah came up. We’re both newish mama’s so I guess it had to happen some day. Anyway we were discussing this one particular episode which was about empowerment and my friend told me that Oprah referred to her cunt as her vagigi.

WTF?

I thought that was the most hilarious thing in the world. I mean, people come up with some stupid names for that precious part of a woman’s body, but vagigi?

I decided it needed to be immortalised in cross stitch. So I dug out a cute bit of floral fabric and made this. It was a gift for my bestest friend who is a self-declared cunt-ologist.

And in all it’s precious glory

UPDATE: Due to popular demand, here is the pattern. Please send me any finished pics! xox

Cross Stitch Cunts

Little known fact: There is a hormone that is released during pregnancy that compells women to cross stitch. I never would’ve believed it but I know at least two other women that this has happened to.

One of whom is my super friend Lenka in Wellington. When Lenka got pregnant she decided to start cross stitching cunts. Which is totally understandable if you think about it.

Now I’d heard about these cunts for a while and when I was last in Wellington I did try and get to Lenka’s to photograph some but never made it in the end. Luckily one of these cunts has moved to Melbourne so I got to take photos!

The person that this one was made for has a particular thing for body hair. So presenting hairy dentata c**t!!

At first it looks like some normal ol’ hairy canvas

But spread the fuzz and the inner glory is revealed!

And up close in all its beautiful glory.

This has to be the most inspirationally, glorious cross stitch I have ever seen.

New book

Last night I started reading Cunt: A Declaration of Independence.

One word, wow!

I have read about a sixth of it (reasonably thick book) and I am astounded as to how cool it is. I came into it with an advantage of already having a deep political understanding of the word but it is blowing my mind with its beauty. I have laughed outloud, shed some tears and I’m constantly nodding my head in agreement as I read it. I have never read anything that so beautifully and accurately describes the relationship between a woman and her cunt. I recommend this book for every woman. I also recommend this book for men. Especially those concerned with the emancipation of women, it will provide you with some useful insights into the strength and power of women, without being scary or intimidating.

Yay for cunts; beautiful things.